Summer Olympics events in the Tokyo area will be held without spectators, after Japan declared a state of emergency in the capital following a surge in COVID-19 cases, Japan's Olympics minister announced Thursday.
Why it matters: It's another huge blow to the spectacle and finances of the delayed and scaled-back Olympics, just two weeks ahead of the opening ceremony.
A conservative group is targeting Major League Baseball and Ticketmaster with a seven-figure advertising campaign ahead of next week’s All-Star Game, accusing them of practicing “woke capitalism.”
Why it matters: By taking direct aim at MLB — and other private entities — Consumers' Research is putting corporate America on notice that it will try to talk directly to their customers with the express goal of hurting their bottom line.
Can you say dynasty? The Tampa Bay Lighting is the first team to win the Stanley Cup at home since 2015 and join the NHL's elite list of back-to-back champs.
What happened: The team won Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals Wednesday in front of 18,110 fans at Amalie Arena, beating the Montreal Canadiens 1-0.
Gerrit Cole signed a nine-year, $324 million contract with the Yankees in 2019 — the largest ever by average annual value.
Why it matters: If the first month of MLB's sticky-stuff crackdown is any indication, Cole and the Yanks may be in for a bumpy marriage — and that mammoth contract could end up being historically bad.
Olympic Games organizers said Tuesday two staff members working at the athletes' village in Tokyo have tested positive for COVID-19, per the Tokyo Shimbun news outlet.
Why it matters: Australia's ABC notes that the workers who tested positive last week were found to have been dining with two other staff members — a violation of the organizing committee's pandemic measures.
Naval Academy graduate Cameron Kinley will be allowed to pursue a career in the NFL, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced Tuesday.
The big picture: Austin said that he had granted a waiver to Kinley so that he can play professional football, adding that "[u]pon completion of his playing time, we look forward to welcoming him back inside the ranks as a naval officer."
